AK Rider/MotoQuest officially opened a new location in Tigard at the BMW dealership on May 1st. My name is Jason and I just transferred here from Alaska to open the shop. I'd like to do some riding and get some great photos of the bikes for promotion. Unfortunately, I am an amateur photographer at best so I need some help!

Here's the deal:
You get a free BMW GS rental. We do some riding in the area and you take some awesome pictures that we can use for promotion.

If you are interested, reply in this topic or shoot me a PM with your contact info.

I love the beautiful photography from fellow riders, people who know how to ride big & small bikes, but more than anything...i live for the times that a few capable friends can get out in our treasured wilderness & explore respectfully...without it being shagged up by regular tours of people paying someone large amounts of cash.
I've seen it the world over, people paying for guided tours with "tourists", someone making shite loads of money, then the local riders/hikers etc either don't want to use the area anymore because of the throngs of people, or they now are forced to pay for what they once got for free & what our local taxes go towards.

+1.......true story Squishy. There used to be some awesome trails around Mt Bachelor. ATV tours found them and the rest is history. Same thing happened in one of my favorite spots in Idaho. There are still great trails in both of those areas that they haven't worn out but there are way too many people out there now. With increased use comes enhanced government regulation.......grrrrrr!

I love the beautiful photography from fellow riders, people who know how to ride big & small bikes, but more than anything...i live for the times that a few capable friends can get out in our treasured wilderness & explore respectfully...without it being shagged up by regular tours of people paying someone large amounts of cash.
I've seen it the world over, people paying for guided tours with "tourists", someone making shite loads of money, then the local riders/hikers etc either don't want to use the area anymore because of the throngs of people, or they now are forced to pay for what they once got for free & what our local taxes go towards.

I'm off to have a ride & enjoy what we have left...after another morning coffee.

We've been doing adventure riding up in Alaska now for over 12 years, and we have a great reputation with the locals here. We've never been accused of abusing or ruining the state; just look at our post history in the Alaska section of this forum.. We have always wanted to share our state with people not lucky enough to be born here, and in our opinion the best way to see it is on a motorcycle. I am personally very excited to be linking the pacific northwest with anchorage to allow people to rent our bikes and go up the Alcan and Cassiar highways. One of my personal favorite rides.

I understand that there is a general dislike for tourists, but there is nothing wrong with people wanting to see other parts of the world on a motorcycle without having to worry about shipping their own bike all over the world. And most people would agree that the average person who rents from us or comes on our tours is the far from your average tourist. I invite you to come visit one of our shops sometime and see what we are all about.

Sqishy and Monkeybutt are you giving AJ the same shit for trying to do the same thing?

Definately not, i did consider that when posting. AJ's deal is, experienced riders using their own bikes in remote areas, usually far from "our back yards", & small groups of riders who live in the state...& repect our riding areas like AJ definately does.
When i ride to Alaska (or any other beautiful state), i will definately not pay to ride with a tour group, it's just not how i've ever traveled, & i've traveled extensively around the world.
I do understand an overseas visitor wanting to rent a bike to ride in another country, this still doesn't have to be done in a large group of high paying "tourists"...where's the adventure in that!? What's wrong with solo navigation for adventure & reward.
I moved from the high tourism area of Queenstown, New zealand where most of the locals can't stand the massive amounts of tourists which has driven a large percentage of the "locals" from the area & a wonderful lifestyle we once had.
Nothing against renting bikes to individuals, just don't spoil our precious area here with constant tour groups & people who don't have to suffer the consequences when it's abused & closed down!

Welcome to Tigard and the Pacific Northwest! Certainly I can understand when some people are not happy to see a new company come to the area . . . . . And it seems the old thought NIMBY (not in my back yard) is alive and well here.

I, too, have traveled extensively. Some places I have bought bikes, others I have rented. Some were solo trips, some with "tour" groups. I have enjoyed ALL trips immensely, and am currently planning a South Africa trip with GlobeRiders.

Your reputation in Alaska is beyond reproach. I feel you will be welcomed by MOST riders here as well. You are true stewards of the land, try to get along with all others, and follow the local rules. (And, no, I have no affiliation with them in any way!)

Let's all not be too quick to judge someone by others actions. I served in VietNam with some Kiwis. Some were great guys . . . others, maybe not so good. If I judged all Kiwi by those not so good I would be one to say block the borders to Kiwis. But I'm not. In the motorcycle community there is room for all.

Let's give them a chance to prove their worth to our motorcycle community. All I can say is WELCOME!

I've done several tours in various countries, and I don't think Oregon has much to worry about. The groups tend to be small and infrequent. And I've never seen an amateur pay 5,000 to 15,000 to fly partway around the globe to ride a motorcycle in a foreign country. They tend to be pretty darned good riders, certainly better than me, if they're that focused.

Check the schedules of the tour companies you're worried about -- they probably don't have more than a few tours in a location, each year. And based upon the prices of the tours, the costs of bikes, lodging, logistics and labor, I'd be very surprised if anyone in that business is getting rich.

I'm scheduled for two such tours this year: the U.K. and Morocco. And I'll still put 10k + miles on my bikes from my home in Arizona, as well.

I think more choices are always better for consumers than fewer. And I'm not always crazy about the traffic from tourists here in Arizona, but they're always welcome and I hope they enjoy their visit.

AK Rider/MotoQuest officially opened a new location in Tigard at the BMW dealership on May 1st. My name is Jason and I just transferred here from Alaska to open the shop. I'd like to do some riding and get some great photos of the bikes for promotion. Unfortunately, I am an amateur photographer at best so I need some help!

Here's the deal:
You get a free BMW GS rental. We do some riding in the area and you take some awesome pictures that we can use for promotion.

If you are interested, reply in this topic or shoot me a PM with your contact info.

Hmmm.
I may know someone
How long is the free rental?
Let me have it for a week and you have a deal

Sqishy and Monkeybutt are you giving AJ the same shit for trying to do the same thing?

No LB. I'm not intending to "give shit" but rather express concern born from negative experience. I view what AJ wants to do and what I see BMWOR/Moto Quest wanting to do as completely different animals. Think Passion Driven with a possibility of some financial gain as opposed to Financially driven with financial gain the focus. I probably shouldn't have agreed with Squishy completely as Rape is a strong word. Possibly Organized Prostitution might be closer if you have to put a name on it. I might be wrong and that wouldn't be the first time. Maybe this is the best thing that ever happened. One thing for sure, my opinion won't change anything either way. If it turns out positive, great. If it ends badly, the damage will be done. They will walk away and those that live here will pay the price.

I wouldn't worry too much like Desertbilly said infrequent. And when they do come to ride those big BMW bikes they most likely will not get off the gravel logging roads an if the do it will be on the OBDR. I really don't see them riding on the muddy slop we all enjoy, But I am sure I am wrong and someone out there will tell me I am.